Products

Topics

Senate Negotiators Are Optimistic on Unemployment Insurance

A six-month deal could be in the works.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) points to a television displaying a count of the number of people losing unemployment benefits during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol February 6, 2014 in Washington, DC.

After an­oth­er day of talks, two of the lead­ing sen­at­ors in­volved in the ne­go­ti­ations to ex­tend un­em­ploy­ment-in­sur­ance be­ne­fits ex­pressed op­tim­ism Tues­day about the pos­sib­il­ity of a deal.

That agree­ment, Sen­ate Ma­jor­ity Lead­er Harry Re­id said, would likely ex­tend the be­ne­fits for six months, rather than the three months Re­pub­lic­ans ini­tially pushed for. However, the le­gis­la­tion will be ret­ro­act­ive, giv­ing those on un­em­ploy­ment a lump sum for the amount they missed after be­ne­fits ex­pired on Dec. 28 and new checks likely through late June.

Asked when he ex­pects to bring an agree­ment to the floor, Re­id said: “Soon. I had some good con­ver­sa­tions today.”

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., who has co­sponsored sev­er­al bills to re­in­state the pro­gram, also soun­ded up­beat on Tues­day. “I think something’s go­ing to hap­pen,” Heller said, though he was less cer­tain about the tim­ing. “I don’t know about this week, but we’re work­ing on it.”

Demo­crats need one more Re­pub­lic­an to join them in vot­ing for the ex­ten­sion, after a pre­vi­ous bill failed to get clo­ture earli­er this month. Cur­rently, mem­bers have their eyes on Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois, Rob Port­man of Ohio, and Dan Coats of In­di­ana.

Heller spoke with the Demo­crats’ top tar­get, Kirk, about the is­sue Tues­day. “I had a good long talk with Dean Heller today about this very sub­ject, about the length of time and how we pay for it and how we bring the gim­micks out of any pay-for,” Kirk said.

Asked wheth­er he pre­ferred a short-term ex­ten­sion, such as a three-or-six-month patch, Kirk said: “Ob­vi­ously, from my view­point the less cost, the bet­ter.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who voted in fa­vor of the last bill to ex­tend the be­ne­fits and has been in­volved in the talks, agreed that a short-term solu­tion is best. Asked wheth­er a long-term ex­ten­sion, per­haps for a year, was a pos­sib­il­ity, Collins re­peatedly shook her head.

"Chuck Rosenberg, the acting head of the Drug Enforcement Agency who has found himself and his agency at odds with the Trump administration in recent months, told staff members Tuesday that he is planning to step down from his post." The Obama administration holdover will step down on October 1.

Source:

HAD BEGUN TO PUBLICLY CRITICIZE TRUMP

Sen. Corker to Retire

1 hours ago

THE DETAILS

Another Republican member of Congress is showing himself out the door. After much thought, consideration and family discussion over the past year, Elizabeth and I have decided that I will leave the United States Senate when my term expires at the end of 2018,” said Sen. Bob Corker in a statement. The Tennessean has served since 2006.

Source:

NOT ILLEGAL, BUT MUST BE FORWARDED TO WORK ACCOUNTS

At Least 6 WH Advisors Used Private Email Accounts

1 hours ago

THE LATEST

Jared Kushner, Stephen Bannon, Reince Priebus, Gary Cohn, Stephen Miller, and Ivanka Trump sent or received some emails on personal accounts that related to White House business. "Officials are supposed to use government emails for their official duties so their conversations are available to the public and those conducting oversight. But it is not illegal for White House officials to use private email accounts as long as they forward work-related messages to their work accounts so they can be preserved."

Source:

SAYS CONTACTS WERE “BENIGN”

Stone Releases Correspondence with Guccifer 2.0

1 hours ago

THE LATEST

"Roger Stone, a longtime friend and adviser to Donald Trump, released correspondence Tuesday" with the online hacker known as Guccifer 2.0 , which "U.S. intelligence agencies said was used by Russian government-linked entities to distribute embarrassing information about Democrats during the 2016 election. The disclosures came in a 47-page opening statement made available to reporters in advance of Mr. Stone’s Tuesday appearance in front of the House Intelligence Committee." Stone called his contacts with Guccifer "limited" and "benign."

Source:

PRIEBUS, SPICER, HICKS, MCGAHAN

Mueller Could Start Interviewing White House Figures This Week

1 hours ago

THE LATEST

"Special counsel investigators could start interviewing current and former White House staff as soon as later this week regarding the Russian probe, two sources familiar with the matter tell CNN. One source cautioned it is still being worked out with Robert Mueller's office and said it might be delayed until next week." Among those who could have a sit-down with the special prosecutor: former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former press secretary Sean Spicer, communications director Hope Hicks, White House counsel Don McGahn, communications adviser Josh Raffel and associate counsel James Burnham.